David m



D. M. MEFFORD.

ORDNANOE.

(NoModeL) Patented Feb. 9, 1886.

as HM IIWFI a 2% S U DA ID: M. MEFFORD, orronnno, OHIO, ASSIGNOR To THE NATIONAL a -HEAVY ORDNANGEYCOMPANY.

enhance.

' srncrricarion formingpart or letters sys em.- No. 335,607, dated February 9, ices.

Application filed October 9, ,1885.

T a-Zlwhom it may concern: 1 Be it known that I, DAVID M: MEFFORD, of Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented certain Improvementsin Ordnance,,of which the following is a,spcification. T n This invention-has reference. to cannon such as represented in my application.- for I-Lettcrs Patent of the UnitedStates-flledMay 9, 1885,

-' fined-between the barrel-tube and re-enforce surrounding the same.

No. 164,930, whereina fluid medium-is con-' a jacket or TheinVentionconsists in an improved man ner of uniting the re-enforce and barrel, also in uniting the relieving-cock with the breechplug by devices through-which the breech is caused to open the cock, and vice versa, and

also in combining with the-relieviug-cock a fluid-receiving vessel or chamber, from which the fluid may return automaticallyio the internal space as the latter is increased by the cooling of the gun. g

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a top plan view of my improved gun.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinafvertical section through the center of the same. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation. showing the connectionbetween the breech-plug and the relieving-cock.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the barrel or gun-tube, which may be of uniform diameter both internally and externally from end to end, except the usual enlargement at the rear end for a powder-bed, and its bore smoother rifled, as circumstances mayfde mand. At its rear end this tube is provided with a circumferential flange, a.

B represents the external jacket 'or re-enforce, of cast-iron, steel, wrought metal, or other appropriate material, .with a central opening from end to end to receive the guntubez Near its breech end the re-enforce is formed with an internal annular flange, b, against-the rear face of which the flange a of the barrel isfirmly seated.

rear of the bar rel the opening in the breeclrofi the re-enforce is provided with .a screw thread and with a bushing or thimble, G, which is screwed tightly in place against the rear face of the flange of the barrel, which is thus forced and-held securely againstthe flange b. The bushing C is Serial No. 179,429. (No model.)

' in the construction of breech-loading ordnance,

or may be otherwise constructed, as preferred;

At the forward end the re-enforce has its opening of flaring or conical form with the larger end toward the muzzle. I endof the opening has a diameter identical with or slightly greater than the external diameter of the barreh t Y In order to properly support the barrel within the re-enforce-andproduce within them --a close joint, which will admit of their sliding longitudinally-with respectwto each other in consequence of their unequal expansion and contraction, I insert within the flaring mouth "ofthe're-enforcea ring; E, which-encircles the. barrel; fThe' whole interior surface of this ring fits closely upon the barrel, while its exterior surface is made of a tapered orconical \form and fits snugly within the-conical mouth of the re-enforce. This ring is held in place by means of an external tube, F, shrunk tightly upon the forward end of the barrel, and bearing at its rear end against the forward edge of the ring.

' For various reasons,unnecessary to enumerate, it is preferred torconstruct the ring E and tube d] separate; but good results may be secure when'the rear end of the-tube F is tapered to fit within the mouth of the reenforce, or, in other words, when the ring and tube are .formedin one piece.

The tube and the ring maybe of wroughtiron, steel, or other appropriate material.

The rear or smaller The barrel will be commonly constructed of the chamber at the instant of discharging the also threaded internally to receive breechgun.

removal of the fluid and t0 confine it withi'mioo mmwmr I i -i:

In order that the gunner may instantly open 2. As aniinprovement in cannonhavingarethe rear cock after the discharge of the gun, I enforced or jacketed barrel and an intermeconnect therewith a rod, H, or equivalent diate fluid-confining chamber, the combinaoperating device extending to the rear. Iprotion of the central barrel, the surrounding o pose to connect this rod in any appropriate jacket having at the forward end a conical manner with the breech-plug or its operating mouth increasing in diameter toward the front, devices, so that the opening and closing of the the conical ring E, fitted tightly to the extebreech will also open and close the cock. rior, of the barrel and to the interior of the In the drawings I have shown the rod with conical mouth, and the ring or collar F, aplo a rack, d, operated by a pinion, f, on a vertiplied to the barrel, as shown, whereby a tight cal shaft, g, mounted in hearings on the gun joint is maintained as the barrel expands and and connected at the lower end by miter-gea' outracts. with the pinion n,which gears into the breech- 3. In a cannon having its barrel surrounded plug to turn the same in the ordinary manner. by a fluid-confining jacket, the combination I 5 I am aware that in small arms an auxiliary of a movable breech -closing mechanism, a detachable barrel of small caliber has been cock communicating with the fluid-chamber,. placed within a larger barrel and confined at and devices, substantially as shown, connectthe front by an encirclingnnt forcing a shouling the breech mechanism and the cock to dered collar against and within theonter barcause them to open and close in unison.

2o rel, the construction being such that any elon- 4:. In combination with a cannon having a gati on of the inner barrel would open the joint, fluid-confining chamber between its barrel and and this I do not claim. a re-enforce, the fluid-receiving vessel con- An important feature of my invention re nected with said chamber, and the interrne sides in the use on the inner barrel of a collar diate cock,whereby the fluid may be confined 6o tapered downward toward the breech and con within the chamber or permitted to pass into fined by the sleeve in the peculiar manner the vessel and return-thence into the chamshown. her. 5

Having thus described my invention, what In testimony whereoi' I hereunto set my I claim ishand this 2d day of October, 1885, 1n the prey o 1'. As an improvement in cannon having a ence of two attesting witnesses. fluid-space between the barrel and re-enforce,

thcinternally flanged and threaded re-enforce, DAVID M. ll IEFFORD.

in combination with the externally-flanged barrel and the externally-threaded tube seated Witnesses: :5 in the ire-enforce against the breech end of the J OHN T. Anus,

barrel, as described. W. G. ALVOBD 

